Sunday, February 12, 2012

Message to Kansas Senators, Do Not Confirm Phyllis Gilmore



Phyllis Gilmore was the Executive Director of the KSBSRB, Kansas Behavioral Sciences Regulatory Board for the past 11 years. The board was established in 1980 to license and regulate psychologists, social workers, professional counselors, master level psychologists, marriage and family therapists and addiction counselors.

If the KSBSRB receives a report of alleged violation of one of their licensed workers, the board makes a jurisdictional determination on whether or not to investigate which must meet two criteria.

1. "The complaint pertains to a profession or scope of practice regulated by the board".
2. "The complaint alleges facts constituting noncompliance with, or violations of the rules, regulations, and/or Statutes, and/or Board ordered conditions governing the practice or conduct of the professional on whom the report is being filed".

See the link here for the Investigation Policies and Procedures, KSBSRB March 2006
http://www.scribd.com/doc/80433902/Phyllis-Gilmore-Exec-Dir-KSBSRB-Investigation-Policies-and-Procedures-March-13-2006

The December 11, 2006, Behavioral Sciences Regulatory Board Complaint Review Committee Minutes show that there were several cases where the committee determined "lack of jurisdiction". One of the cases included a child in SRS custody and the complaint was dismissed due to "lack of jurisdiction". There was also a complaint that a licensed social worker violated the confidentiality of adoptive parents.




NOTE, Several complaints have been made against Social Workers and those have been

DISMISSED DUE TO LACK OF JURISDICTION under Gilmore's watch.


See this link for the Dec. 11, 2006 KSBSRB Committee Minutes
http://www.scribd.com/doc/80434272/Phyllis-Gilmore-KSBSRB-Complaint-Review-Committee-Dec-11-2006-Minutes

On March 18, 2008, in a closed meeting Phyllis Gilmore and Roger Skurlock were questioned about these cases that they refused to investigate which were noted on the Dec 11, 2006 meeting notes. During the meeting Gilmore and Skurlock claimed they investigate ALL allegations, but that isn't the case.
Here is a clip from that meeting. Turn up your speakers, parts of the conversation are transcribed and you can read it. I would start at 1:00 minute into the video and at 1:35 you can read and hear the questioning of these cases:



No Surprise Here: "Her (Gilmore's) private sector experience is primarily within the areas of adoption and health care." http://www.srs.ks.gov/Pages/Secretary/NewSecretaryGilmore.aspx
The Senate Confirmation Oversight Committee will debate whether to recommend the appointment to the full Senate, which will probably vote on Gilmore’s appointment within about a month. Contact every Senator in Kansas ASAP to recommend that Gilmore NOT be approved for this position.

HERE is a list of all Kansas Senators

Steve.Abrams@senate.ks.gov ; Pat.Apple@senate.ks.gov ; Terry.Bruce@senate.ks.gov ; Pete.Brungardt@senate.ks.gov ; Les.Donovan@senate.ks.gov ; Jay.Emler@senate.ks.gov ; Oletha.Faust-Goudeau@senate.ks.gov ; Marci.Francisco@senate.ks.gov ; David.Haley@senate.ks.gov ; Anthony.Hensley@senate.ks.gov ; Tom.Holland@senate.ks.gov ; Terrie.Huntington@senate.ks.gov ; Laura.Kelly@senate.ks.gov ; Dick.Kelsey@senate.ks.gov ; Jeff.King@senate.ks.gov ; Kelly.Kultala@senate.ks.gov ; Jeff.Longbine@senate.ks.gov ; Garrett.Love@senate.ks.gov ; Julia.Lynn@senate.ks.gov ; Bob.Marshall@senate.ks.gov ; Ty.Masterson@senate.ks.gov ; Carolyn.Mcginn@senate.ks.gov ; Ray.Merrick@senate.ks.gov ; Steve.Morris@senate.ks.gov ; Robert.Olson@senate.ks.gov ; Ralph.Ostmeyer@senate.ks.gov ; Tim.Owens@senate.ks.gov ; Mike.Petersen@senate.ks.gov ; Mary.PilcherCook@senate.ks.gov ; Dennis.Pyle@senate.ks.gov ; Roger.Reitz@senate.ks.gov ; Allen.Schmidt@senate.ks.gov ; Vicki.Schmidt@senate.ks.gov ; Jean.Schodorf@senate.ks.gov ; Chris.Steineger@senate.ks.gov ; Mark.Taddiken@senate.ks.gov ; Ruth.Teichman@senate.ks.gov ; Dwayne.Umbarger@senate.ks.gov ; John.Vratil@senate.ks.gov ; Susan.Wagle@senate.ks.gov ;

Sunday, January 22, 2012

Jan 3, 2012, Family and Advocates Spoke Before the South Central Legislative Delegation

Marlene Jones, Penn State Sandusky Scandal Has Nothing On Sedgwick County




Jan. 3, 2012, Marlene Jones spoke before the South Central Legislative Delegation. Marlene has been coming to the legislative forums for several years and speaking on the wrongful removal and failure to reunify the children with the parent.Last year the citizens were told there was going to be a new committee to address these issues and that didn't happen. Marlene requested that the legislators support and cosponser the protective parent act that will be reintroduced this year as protective parents are losing custody of their children after reporting abuse.


Donna Roberts, The Shameful Secret In Our Own Backyard, Sexual Abuse Of Children In Sedgwick




Jan. 3, 2012, Donna Roberts, ACRA, A Childs Rights Association, spoke before the South Central Legislative Delegation. Donna Roberts' concern is regarding the sexual abuse of children in Sedgwick County and the coverup by professionals, law enforcement, SRS, therapists, and how the Judges are failing these children. Donna said that Kansas needs a major investigation by the feds and the people who have covered up the abuse of these children need to be prosecuted. The bottom line is that sexual abuse is a crime and it is being covered up in Sedgwick County.


Glen Burdue, "Even one child needlessly traumatized or abused while in the SRS system is too many"



Jan. 3, 2012, Glen Burdue spoke before the South Central Legislative Delegation. Glen asked the legislators for their support to provide new legislation to provide statistics and identify problems with child protective services. Glen Burdue, "Even one child needlessly traumatized or abused while in the SRS system is too many".


Grandfather Wendell Turner had to make a lot of noise with Youthville to protect his grandchildren from Pendland




Jan 3, 2012, Grandfather Wendell Turner spoke before the South Central Legislative Delegation. Rick Pendland who worked for Youthville was also a sponsored foster parent, former school teacher and he worked at the Wichita Children's Home. Pendland, who now sits in the Cowley County Jail for allegedly raping multiple children, wanted to be the foster placement for Wendell Turner's grandchildren.

Sunday, November 13, 2011

Kansas Child poverty meetings scheduled this week

"The meetings are titled “Rising to the Challenge: Reducing Childhood Poverty and Improving Childhood Outcomes in Kansas” and will feature national and state experts on childhood poverty, including the Heritage Foundation’s Robert Rector and Ron Haskins..."

Read more: http://www.kansas.com/2011/11/10/2097958/child-poverty-meetings-scheduled.html#ixzz1dP4xBSFD

This is a public meeting and even though anyone can attend, the State is requiring citizens to register for this event.

Here is the link: http://www.srs.ks.gov/Pages/TownHallMeetings.aspx

The meetings will be:
1:30 to 4:30 p.m. Nov. 14 at the Jack Reardon Convention Center, 500 Minnesota Ave., KC, KS
1:30 to 4:30 p.m. Nov. 16 at the Drury Plaza Broadview Hotel, 400 W. Douglas, Wichita
1:30 to 4:30 p.m. Nov. 17 at the Dennis Perryman Athletic Complex at.Garden City Community College
From The Heritage Foundation, Foster Care: Safety Net or Trap Door? by Thomas Atwood,
March 25, 2011.
"States tend to overuse foster care because they receive federal matching funds
for every qualifying child in care. "
"Abstract: For tens of thousands of endangered children, foster care has become a trap door rather than the safety net they need to help them succeed. In particular, federal financing policies have favored foster care over other child welfare approaches, leading states to overuse foster care to the detriment of children who could be adopted or whose families could be rehabilitated."
http://www.heritage.org/research/reports/2011/03/foster-care-safety-net-or-trap-door

According to the New Secretary of SRS, Rob Siedlecki, Regarding Adoptions, IT'S ALL FREE MONEY!!!

According to the new Secretary of SRS, it's all FREE MONEY!
Free money to adopt Kansas children.
Free money to have medical coverage for those children.
Free money to send adopted children to college.
What about all the FREE MONTHLY SUBSIDIES AND TAX BREAKS those adopters receive?

And then there is the FREE $300,000 to Promote Adoptions of Kansas children.

It's NOT FREE MONEY, it is tax payers dollars funded by the private sector.
That would include, Secretary of SRS Rob Siedlecki's income. The private sector pays for his home, his life style and income.

Here's the story: http://cjonline.com/news/2011-11-07/srs-offers-300000-spur-adoption#comment-462415

By Tim Carpenter November 7, 2011 - 06:11pm
SRS offers $300,000 to spur adoption
THE CAPITAL-JOURNAL
Jonathan and Allison Schumm's family is big enough to conduct a regulation basketball game.That wouldn't be possible without five siblings adopted by the Topeka couple to complement their three biological children.The team was present at the Kansas Children’s Discovery Center for the announcement Monday of the Kansas Department of Social and Rehabilitation Services' offer of $300,000 from a federal grant to the company proposing the most imaginative one-year marketing campaign to recruit adoptive families."This is a heartfelt cause," said SRS Secretary Robert Siedlecki. "This campaign is directed towards our children who are typically hardest to place in adoptive families — the kids of sibling groups, with mental or physical disabilities or teenagers."He said the state had 5,200 children in foster care. Five hundred of 900 in the adoption queue are awaiting completion of the adoption process, but 420 haven’t yet been linked with a prospective adoptive family."Those 400 children really are alone," Siedlecki said.Jonathan Schumm said he could attest to the compelling force for good generated by adoption of children. His roster: Nicole, 16, Alisa, 13, Emmanuel, 11, Jaquale, 6, Angel, 5, Mercy, 5, Isaiah, 3, and Kyrsten, 1."I'm not here to tell you foster care and adoption are easy," he said while the children played in the center's kid-friendly facility. "It's been worth every smile and every tear."He said information on children available for adoption in Kansas could be found at www.adoptkskids.org. Some children still on the list were there six years ago when Schumm and his wife initially became involved in foster care and adoption."So many kids are still waiting," he said.Gov. Sam Brownback decreed November as Kansas Adoption Month. On Nov. 19, several court jurisdictions in Kansas will finalize at least 100 adoptions to mark the declaration.Brownback and his wife, Mary, adopted two children from overseas. A son, Mark, celebrated his 14th birthday Monday."Adoption is fabulous," the governor said at the Statehouse. "It just brings a smile to my face every time I think about it. My hope is more families will step up."He said his family's decision to not adopt in Kansas reflected his trips while in Congress to orphanages in other countries, many of which didn't have a strong cultural tradition of adoption.In addition, the governor said he was aware of a U.S. family that struggled for six years to complete an adoption.Siedlecki, the top administrator at SRS, said adoptions through the state of Kansas were completed at little or no cost and were legally secure because parental rights had been severed.Kansas families who adopt children may be eligible for state or federal financial subsidies, he said. Funding is available for health care of adopted children through Medicaid and for college tuition for children adopted from state care after age 16.Siedlecki said the goal of SRS was to complete more than 800 adoptions in the current fiscal year ending in July. In the last fiscal year, the state finalized 761 adoptions. In the first three months of the year, 178 children have been adopted from state care in Kansas.Tim Carpenter can be reached at (785) 295-1158 or timothy.carpenter@cjonline.com.

100,277 Kansas Children "Served" In Out Of Home Placement Since 1997

The Kansas SRS website shows that there has been a total of 100,277 Kansas Children "Served" in Out Of Home Placement since 1997
The State Labels these seizures as "Foster Care Service Frequency"
Here is the link to that information:
http://www.srs.ks.gov/agency/cfs/Pages/ProgramData.aspx#Federal%20Fiscal%20Year%20Adoptions%20Finalized

FY2011 shows that the Kansas Child Population under the age of 18 years old is 695,712
http://www.cwla.org/advocacy/statefactsheets/2011/kansas.pdf

Sunday, October 9, 2011

Kansas Grandmother Fighting For Ella Jo

3 year old, Ella Jo is in the Kansas Foster Care System

While in the care of the State, on Oct 4th, Ella Jo went into respitory failure and the family was called to be at her side. Ella Jo is still fighting but she needs to go back to her home to be with her family.

""Ella Jo’s history of accidental & pathological fractures started when she was one year old. Ella is not able to assimilate the nutrients in her food, therefore has a weaken bone structure. The seizure medicine that Ella Jo had been on for half her life also deteriorates bone mass! The doctors failed to suggest Ella Jo needing Vitamin D & Calcium supplements to prevent this! One of many tragic complications that comes with Retts Syndrome. At one year of age her Paternal Grandmother slipped and fell with her and that broke Ella’s femur. A sibling at home, jumped over Ella lying in bed and accidentally landed on her shoulder, breaking the shoulder, and collar-bone. On another unfortunate occasion, a Home Physical Therapist was doing weight-bearing on her arm and accidentally broke the upper part of the arm. Yet another accident that took place at Ella Jo’s school that possibly injured her neck. During a bath, Ella Jo slipped out of loving hands and that placed her in the hospital with a Halo …… as a result of that….. into the hands of the State and a foster home.""

Read more here: http://ellajoandgrandmapattibear.wordpress.com/?blogsub=confirming#subscribe-blog